UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS 

During the unit students will be required to:

• Submit the required assessment tasks in a timely manner.
• Complete all the required readings for the unit.
• Contribute to online discussions and activities.

Online participation guidelines:

A significant part of your online learning experience involves learning with and from other students and the teacher in the online discussions and activities.  Active participation means sharing information and resources, posting your own ideas, and critiquing or expanding on the ideas of others in a respectful and collegial fashion.  You are expected to follow accepted standards of English spelling, grammar and punctuation, when you are participating in web discussions or sending emails.  These discussions are for you to exchange your reflections with your classmates and teacher about what you are learning.  The discussions will be organised into forums around the particular themes you are studying.

As an online student, you will be taking a proactive approach to your learning.  As the Unit Convenor's role is that of a learning guide, your role is that of the leader in your own learning. You will be managing your own time so that you can complete the readings, activities and assignments for the unit.

You should spend an average of at least 12 hours per week on this unit.  This includes listening to pre-recorded lectures prior to seminar discussions and reading weekly required readings detailed in iLearn.

Internal students are expected to attend all seminar sessions and external students are expected to contribute to on-line discussions.

REQUIRED READINGS

The citations for all required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students at Macquarie University’s Library EReserve site and through the unit iLearn site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed at the EReserve site.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Recommended readings will be posted to the unit iLearn site as Session 2 progresses.

TECHNOLOGY

Online units can be accessed at:  http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/   If you require technical assistance with Macquarie iLearn contact the HelpDesk:  http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

PC and Internet access are required.  Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

All assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.

Assessment tasks must be submitted either as a PDF or MS Word document, or MS Powerpoint brief by the due date.

All assessment textual PDF or MS Word tasks will be subject to a 'Turnitin' review as an automatic part of the submission process.

Assessment tasks must be submitted with a plagiarism declaration.  This will be as part of the task submission process through grademark or through completion of a coversheet.  The coversheet can be downloaded at:  www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/postgraduate_coursework.

The granting of extensions of up to one week are at the discretion of the unit convenor.  Any requests for extensions must be in writing before the due date for the submission of the assessment task.  Extensions beyond one week are subject to special consideration.  The policy for this is detailed under Policy and Procedures.

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT

There is a penalty for the late submission of assessment tasks.  If an assignment is submitted late it will initially be marked as if it had been submitted on time.  However, 5% of the weighting allocated for the assignment will then be deducted from the mark the student initially achieves in the assessment task for each day it is late.  For example, if the assessment task's weighting is 20, 1.00 mark per day will be deducted from the initial mark given per day it is late, ie. a task initially given 15/20 but which is submitted four days late will lose 4 x 1.00 marks.  That means, 15/20 - 4 marks = 11/20.  It is this second mark which will be recorded in the gradebook.

The same principle applies if a student seeks and is granted an extension and the assessment task is submitted later than the amended submission date.

Additional Information

Week 1:  Course organisation, learning approach, assessment, rationale; Managing complexity – setting the scene

Week 2:  Understanding self

Week 3:  Understanding relationships

Week 4:  Intelligence analytical tools – internal

Week 5:  Intelligence analytical tools – manufactured

Week 6:  Intelligence analytical approaches – all-source fusion

Week 7:  Intelligence analytical approaches – Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE)

Week 8:  Case study

Week 9:  Intelligence analytical approaches – COIN & criminal

Week 10:  Complex terrains – force protection and physical security

Week 11:  Complex terrains – human terrain

Week 12:  Dealing with the long future – futures intelligence

Week 13:  Professionalism – organisations & framework of service